Mucho Macho Man seized command of the lead turning into the homestretch and held off a late bid from Hymn Book to win the $350,000 Suburban Handicap (gr. II) this afternoon at Belmont Park.
Ridden for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Mucho Macho Man got off to an excellent start and quickly settled into the second position early on, just off of the early pace set by Trickmeister. Endorsement, Buffum, and To Honor and Serve were right behind them in the second tier of runners, while Stay Thirsty and Hymn Book were content to trail the field early on.
The early fractions were quite testing, with Trickmeister showing the way through an opening quarter in :23.06 and a half-mile in :45.68. As the field made their way around the turn, Endorsement and Buffum gave way, as did To Honor and Serve about a sixteenth of a mile later. This left Mucho Macho Man and Trickmeister alone on the front end, with Mucho Macho Man moving much the strongest of the pair. With powerful strides, Mucho Macho Man burst clear of the field, running the mile in a brilliant 1:33.82.
Hymn Book rallied strongly on the far outside to finish second, but was unable to seriously challenge the winner, who coasted home a decisive winner while stopping the clock for nine furlongs in 1:46.58.
Trickmeister held on to finish third, while To Honor and Serve rounded out the superfecta.
-Keelerman
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